Letters Part 2
by tmpayne
Summary: Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.  The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of


**Chapter 9 What Booth Knows **

**Spoilers Predator in the Pool, Parts in the Sum of the Whole, and Rocker in the Rinse Cycle. **

I was staring at the computer screen proofreading the last of the reports. I now understood how my editor felt in her New York office. Proofreading was what Booth might call a meticulous "pain in the ass". After what seemed like the millionth report, I was ready to take a break. I shut laptop lid and stood up to stretch. I walked to the entrance of the tent to look outside. The scenery was beautiful. Sometimes not seeing a handful of students milling around a site was refreshing. My time with Booth helped me to understand the value of just taking in those moments of sweet tranquility. I had to come understand that is was not the time to analyze a single thing about life.

Around the time Booth crossed my mind, Daisy was making her way my direction. Things must have been going better for her and Sweets judging by the smile on her face. As much as that energy and girlish enthusiasm used to bug me, I was starting to miss it. It was actually becoming infectious and contagious in a good way. It was so refreshing because her enthusiasm started to vanish when arrived here. Being a month or so from completion did some good for her disposition.

"Afternoon Ms. Wick. You look very happy today." I greeted her.

"Yes Dr. Brennan, I am. It's really good to know that we only have a month left here. My Lancelot awaits me." She answered trying to subdue her excitement and joy for the sake of professionalism.

I could see the smile on her face glow brighter when she saw the name on one of the letters. I got the sinking feeling that my little secret wasn't entirely secret anymore. To Daisy's credit, she did not pry or ask invasive questions of a personal nature. The look on her face asked me how Booth was.

"Booth is fine Ms. Wick. He says that he misses all the squints. I interpret that you mean you also. I will let him know that you send him your warmest regards." I answered trying to not come off too cold. Conveying anything with warmth was a skill that I was still working on.

She nodded yes and exited my tent fully understanding how the ritual worked. She would bring me my letters and then she would go away. I would open them with no one around. The best word would really be ritual because process was so inappropriate. Booth was not a scientific project. I always opened the letters with the greatest of care. I still found no anthropological reason why. I was read to curse Booth for that but I just couldn't. I kind of found difficult to do that when I was so fondly attached to the man.

_April 5th, 2011_

_Somewhere in Afghanistan_

_Dear Temperance,_

_Another sun has gone down out here. Each sun set reminds me of how much longer I have to go before I am back in DC with you. The experiences I have had here gave been mostly rewarding. I like to think that the training will bring them home safe and sound. I would like to think that they see their jobs with a greater purpose now. _

_I know how difficult it is for you at times to understand your value. You are an amazing woman that possesses stunning beauty, mind boggling intelligence, and very strong spirit. I still believe YOU are the one. I KNEW and I still know you are the one. You will always be worth the gamble. Being a gambler is not easy but I still would gamble on you. Truth is there is no substituting you. I must confess something. I knew that you were jealous of Catherine. You need to know that you never had to be. She was not you. She could have never measured up to you. You were and still are my measuring stick. Yes Catherine was smart and kind of beautiful. You are brilliant and very gorgeous. You have always been._

_Every mass that I attend, I still pray for your safety and that we will make it back to DC alive. I look forward to seeing the sunrise over the reflecting pool with you at our bench. Real coffee will be nice but it is you that will make it heavenly._

_Well I do have to rest and I am tired. Long hours out here make for a tired man. One month left my angel._

_Love Seeley_

Before I came here on this dig, I was the first to bring up the Catherine subject. This time he called me on something that I had trouble admitting to myself, even now. I guess she was threatening to me at a level I was hardly even aware of. In his mentioning of their relationship, I was wondering if possibly Andrew was the same for me. Andrew as good for the fulfillment of my biological urges. He was a poor substitute for Booth. I was starting to realize something that I was hardly aware of before that moment. Booth could reach me at a deeper level than any other man ever could. He knew my walls and he knew how I defended myself. That alone used to scare me. I was kind of comforting to know that I did have someone in my life that would not let me get away with the habit of running. Was all this reasoning that I now thought of a product of his absence? If so, then it was really very irrational. Was it because I really could not see my life without him in it? I just could not be sure.

**See You In My Dreams **

March faded into April like an Afghan morning mist. Each mission found my guys improved in the fine art of insurgent apprehension. From the beginning of March to the beginning of April, we had fewer careless mistakes and a whole lot more success out in the field. Sometimes when we patrolled the villages, I would see a little boy's face that looked so much like Parker that I would offer a silent prayer for him. I would sometime see a veiled face with beautiful hazel eyes and Bones would pop into my mind. It would remind me of the promise I made her and would ultimately keep me alert.

God bless the USO and the entertainment they brought. I was able to take in a few good concerts and get a few autographs for Parker. One of the days I was off, a vendor had made his way into camp offering different wares for sale. I spotted the beautiful crystal dolphin that I knew would be perfect for Bones. I gave him the money and pocketed the crystal carefully. I socialized somewhat with the guys. I took part in the pick-up basketball games or in the football games. Outside those times, I preferred to keep my own company.

I would take out her pictures at the end of the day as a way to handle the distance. If the only thing I could hold of her was her picture, then that was good enough for me out here. The photos were my priceless secret gold. I really did not share them with anyone in fear that someone would actually think me an obsessed stocker or just out of my mind.

I came back from a game of football with a letter on my desk. This time I only got a letter from Bones during mail call. For being such a super-rational and super-stubborn woman, she sure was super-sexy to me. I guess she never did understand that. All I had to do was touch her letter and my mind brought her beautiful eyes back. If that woman only knew they power she had over me, she would not be wondering what it was that made me want to be with her.

_April 10th, 2011_

_Maluku Islands_

_Dear Seely,_

_Not much left of this expedition is left to do really. All the bones have been dug up and now all that is left is lab analysis. Despite all that we accomplished out here, I am left with the feeling that our evolutionary roots go far deeper. I don't think we will fully understand it all. I have tried to but science may not be able to tell me everything. I started this dig thinking that I would find some answers. I have only found more questions. These early human bones only left me with more questions than they did answers. Ms. Wick proved to be quite good at this. I would not be too surprised if she signed on for another dig elsewhere in the world._

_I also took on this expedition in hopes that I would gain some perspective on us. Before I left, I worried about what I would do if anything happened to you. It bothered me so much that I knew that I needed to come out here to get the proper perspective. In my mind, I have replayed certain events and I have evaluated them in a rational sense. I can't rationally do it. I have found some uncomfortable truths that are very unsettling to me. You could say that you scare me at times. I know deep down that you would not hurt me but it is how I feel about you that scares me. The feelings you have expressed for me have unsettled me. Anything outside of the scientific realm of explanation tends to scare me. _

_I have actually started to do something that is so unusual for me that I notice it. I find you in my dreams. You are always there waiting for me on our bench by the reflecting pool. The mind boggling part is that some of those dreams seem so vividly real that I really think I am there. That is until I actually wake up to my reality. A long time ago, I would have called that abnormal and irrational. I am starting to see that rationality might be overrated but maybe that is just exhaustion talking. I bet you are thinking the same thing I am right about now. I can here you say "Damn I miss you." It is late and there is a little more work to do. See you soon and please come home safe._

_Affectionately yours, Temperance_

_PS-See you in my dreams.._

I as refolded the letter, I knew what my final thoughts were. Damn I miss her and See you in my dreams Tempe..

**Chapter 11 Before the Reflection**

**Spoilers Pain in the Heart, Death in the Saddle.**

I was actually eager to be on my way back to the states when time came. The year had been long and brought about some interesting scientific revelations as well as some very personal ones. Yes, this dig turned out to tell me more about evolution than I thought possible. The greatest revelations came in my personal realm rather than in the scientific.

I learned that Ms. Wick really was a very good scientist and colleague with some very good traits. I had always expected her to ask about my letters but she never really did. During the past year, she kept to herself for the most part and did her work almost flawlessly. I cringed back in DC when I found out she was coming with me on this dig. I could at least tell Camille that she really is not half bad. Dr. Sweets was wrong to have her watched so closely. I could also tell how mature she was too.

Out here, she was the professional and ready to get work done. Though the first months were lonely ones, she did not complain or mope as I had expected she would. On top of that, I saw just how much she loved Sweets. I never once observed her even leering at another man. I admired her for that. I guess Daisy proved what Booth had been telling me for years. Love is possible for the right two people. Sweets and Daisy definitely could defy all scientific law.

I packed up my things very carefully. Amongst the most carefully packed were the items Booth had sent me from Afghanistan. The photos remained unfolded. They were almost in pristine shape. I enjoyed just looking at them at times. On the loneliest of nights, I could look to them for a little extra comfort. Booth took my breath away when he was in uniform at the airport and those photos provided the same reaction. After the photos, I packed away that old familiar poker chip. I carried around kind of like how some wear a ring around their neck. I kept me close to him even if we could not inhabit the same continent or time zone.

After the poker chip, I put always the treasured letters that helped me to put so much of the last few years in perspective. His words validated some of what frightened me so much. He accepted me for what I was and loved me for it. I found myself more open to loving someone else after all this. I felt a little more secure to feel what I was feeling.

I never thought I would see the day that I would be able to understand what he meant by a miracle and the idea of making love. The real miracle is the ability to take up the same space in harmony. I once thought human relationships between man and woman was strictly physical. Men and women were there to see to the carnal needs of each other. Booth and I had not so much as touched, but I felt something so much more profound and miraculous than if we would have been in the same bed.

We had connected on an emotional level that no man was ever allowed to breach. We had connected on what some might call "spiritual" level that I was not familiar with and rather uncomfortable with even now.

I was sure that the physical connection would come in time once I returned. When or where that would happen I didn't know. Part of me wanted to do that ever since Booth made the mistake of standing up in the tub after his "funeral". If I had not been so mad, I would have enjoyed the view. The other part of me wanted to protect the valuable partnership we shared. In him, I had found a friend, a shoulder, and confidant that could be around whenever Angela could not. I was not so sure that I was willing to sacrifice that for a newer, more uncertain romantic relationship. Only time will tell, I thought to myself. I picked up my bag and put the floppy boony hat on my head.

Ms. Wick stood there waiting for me. I could see the smile on her face. I knew why she was smiling. She was as excited as I was to get back to DC. Sweets was there for Daisy and Booth would be waiting for me I hoped that he would be waiting for her there in DC. I guess if necessary, I could arrange it when I called to let them know when were close to DC. I kept my laptop with my carry-on baggage. I remembered that Seeley would be on his way back too. Maybe he would send me an e-mail merely to let me know that he was on his way back.

I might even have e-mail from Angela and Hodgins. I missed Angela a lot in the last year so much. I have heard the old adage that Absence makes the heart fonder. Make sure that you give Angela a hug when you see her, I noted mentally. She wrote me quite a bit during the year. She had sent some photos of the artwork she had done in Paris. Her friendship really amazed me at times. Too bad you did not trust her instincts Temperance, I could hear my inner voice say. Angela always thought that Booth oozed "buckets of sexual confidence." Her words always were better understood to everyone but me most of the time. I would say Booth was symmetrically pleasing and Ange would say "hot."

Sitting in the airport awaiting our flight to DC, I pulled up the browser and went into my inbox. I saw about two from Ange that I could read later. I spotted Booth's e-mail at the top of them all. It has always been funny how he was always first to get to me in any situation. Ange was always a close second place really. I clicked on the link to read the mail looking forward to reading it.

_Hello Temperance,_

_I am just e-mailing you to let you know that I got to my flight safely and in oh-so comfortable civilian clothes. The funny part is that the stuff I came in is about two sizes too small. I guess Afghanistan is really good for losing some weight. I feels like I lost close to 50 lbs but in reality it is about 10. I have a little more muscle now. It won't last long I bet since it will be back to the desk and back to the diner to gain the weight back. The best part is that I get to be around you everyday again. I sure have missed you. I bet you tire of hearing that from me but I have missed you that much. It was a great relief to sign that discharge paperwork. The Army really is not something I plan on doing again. I don't plan on going anywhere that you are not._

_I know that the letters have opened the door that we did not want to walk through. The ultimate question is will you allow yourself that. I have asked myself that every day since the day I left. I know you probably have asked yourself that too. I know that you feel something for me. It has been in every letter that I have received from you. Where do we stand once we are in DC again? Are we just close partners or are we exploring something new? Please don't bring up "the FBI won't let us work together line" either. We both know that is not the only reason that you won't. We can discuss this later. I just wanted to get it out of my system before I see you. You know my number. Call me when you get it okay._

_Love, Seeley_

I could see Daisy making her way my direction so I lowered my laptop screen so that she would not see it. She sat down her carry-on bag in the seat next to me until the gate call came. While she was away, I composed the response to his e-mail. It amazed me as to how things changed so much in so little time really. He posed a question to me that I would have answered far differently as I was about to now. As my fingers flew across the keys, I held the smile inside that only Booth could bring out into the open.

**Chapter 12 Walking through the opened door**

**Spoilers: The Parts in the Sum of the Whole, Mummy in the Maze, The Woman in the Sand **

I was grateful to be out of the fatigues and to be in my old comfortable civilian clothes. I managed to find somewhere on the Army base to get some new clothes. The clothes I wore before this last year was far too big for me now. I had women looking at me like I was a piece of prime cut meat for the grill. I guess a well chiseled soldier must have been a treat to them. As I was purchasing the new suit of clothes, I could feel the cashier's admiring glances. If not for the thought of Bones, I would have been flattered and even tempted to take her out.

After I was dressed in my new suit of clothes, I put my discharge paperwork up in the pocket. I felt relieved to actually have all this behind me. The time in Afghanistan allowed me a lot of things. One, it had allowed me the ability to say all I had on my mind without fear of any teary looks that could tear me apart. Two, it allowed me to explore know how I felt. I knew that what I was feeling was not just some infatuation or even a form of lust.

Yes Bones was stunningly beautiful on the inside and out. She physically could take my breath away by just walking in the room. She had such a beautiful and fascinating inside too. She had a world inside of her that a privileged few have ever seen. Temperance tried really hard to put the walls up over the years but somehow I found my way around them. This last year was her last best attempt at it and I found out that I could scale them no matter how high she set them up.

Her letters really opened her world up wider for me. I loved what was in her mind and even more what was on her mind. How could someone so stunning try to come off so plain and ordinary when she was actually amazing. She was extraordinary and I really found that to be the most attractive thing about her. She was sexy, smart and, so breathtakingly beautiful on the outside.

The night she came out of the bathroom while we were undercover in Vegas was enough to damn near kill me on the spot. It took a lot of self control not touch the skin under the dress. If I had, I am certain I would have died a happy man. I was completely gone after I kissed her that night outside the Jeffersonian. I could feel her kissing back for a minute and then the pull away. "But the FBI won't let us work together" still sounded like her putting up the walls all over again.

I got to the airport and took a seat at the gate eating a double cheeseburger and sizzling hot fries. I took out the little laptop I purchased back at the PX. I had sent an e-mail before I left the base. I had said a little more than I had planned. I never intended to corner her in a sense. I guess I could not help but ask the question so that she knew where I was coming from.

I was savoring the flavor of food that was not an MRE and it was a heavenly moment. McDonald's had never tasted so good before. I surfed the web a little to see what had happened during the NHL finals. I saw a few amazing shots that I missed while I was out there wrangling insurgents and risking my neck. I looked online at the research that Bones had been working on. It was all very squinty to me really, but I figured I would try to understand what she did for a living outside of the murders. I would never admit to her that the inner squint in me had grown a little over the last five or so years. She knew better though.

I think that over time we bonded in a way that neither one of us ever thought possible. I felt an emotional bond with her that I could tune out and do the work that had to be done. I wasn't so sure anymore that I could do exactly that. I wasn't so sure that I could keep working with her so closely without wanting to be with her more. I also noticed how we had a kind of connection that could be considered spiritual. I could feel her with me whenever I went to sleep and when I held her photo and letters. No woman had ever found a way to bond with me in that way. Camille had been more of a fling than an actual relationship. I know when Camille saw me with her, she figured that much out.

The only bond that we had not made fully was the physical bond. The man hugs, the kisses, and the times that I only held onto her like a friend built something that neither one of us could ignore. I pondered before I left for Afghanistan if we only shared was a physical attraction, a lust, an infatuation. I think we both now knew that it was not any of the above. I would find all of this out when I got back. The last year of letters opened up the doors that we did not want to walk through. Actually, I was more than willing to go through it but she did not want to. I was not going to walk through that door without her. You already have and you know it; I could hear my conscience telling me. I knew deep down it was right. I walked through that door even when I thought I could not without her.

I went to my e-mail to see what had been sent to me. I got the usual welcome back to the FBI message from Cullen and Assistant Director Andrew Hacker. I really did not read those much because I knew what they would say already. There was one from Camille and a couple from Hodgins. The first e-mail on my list was Bones. Somehow that woman had the ability to get to me before anyone else I know. I guess she lived up to her Wonder Woman costume that Halloween years ago. I clicked on the link and had to smile. Anything from her was always welcomed. I looked at the time stamp. It said that it had been sent about 5 minutes before.

_Hello Seeley,_

_I got your e-mail not too long ago. I am typing pretty fast right now. Daisy knows more than she lets on but I am not one to let others see my business. I am glad to be on my way home again. I am actually missing my apartment a lot. Even some good diner food sounds wonderful. The dig was rewarding on so many levels. I am ready to return to murder solving now. I look forward to having everyone back. I have got two e-mails from Angela and Hodgins. I have yet to read them so I got to you first. I can tell you the food I encountered on this last dig was interesting and uniquely flavored. I don't think that I will make too much of that cuisine at home. I never tire of you saying you miss me. It means that some things have not changed with time other than our physical bodies'. I have lost some weight myself I think between perspiring and drinking tons of water._

_As for us, I have a better perspective. I know that the letters have changed a lot of things. I know too much to carry on the way we left it. I can't tell you what will happen when I see you. You have changed me with your words on paper. You and I have something that I have never known in my life. No man knows me the way you have come to know me. I don't know where this will lead us. I can't tell you how long just a close partnership will last. I know I am more than willing to open the door that we have avoided. Can't wait to call you and hear your voice. Until then, I need to go and get on my plane._

_Always, Temperance_

I smiled at this e-mail wondering if I should reply back but the gate call for my gate told me it was time to get my ticket. I closed the lid and put it away. They called for all military to board first with women and children. I was just grateful for the courtesy. I was so happy when the plane hit the skies. As soon as I touch down, I was calling Bones. I could only guess how much awaited me at the reflection pool. Were we going to walk through the door that was opened up or was it just going to be a beautiful woman with coffee?

**To Hear Her Voice**

**Spoilers The Beginning in the End. **

I smiled as I stepped off the plane en route to the tunnel to the airport. The flight had been pleasant enough. I was grateful for the lack of turbulence since I had to listen to the sound of gun fire for the last year. I picked up my baggage from baggage claim and called for the taxi. I smiled as I made my way to my apartment. In a matter of minutes, I would be sleeping in my comfortable bed that I had been wishing for months. All the comforts awaited me home that were at my finger tips. I relied on trusty old Armed Forces Network to see my hockey games. I opened the door happy to be home.

I looked at my cell phone and found a text message from Bones to call her on her cell when I got home. How could this get much better? I asked myself. I was home-sweet-home and able to talk to the one person that I missed the most. I figured that the next call would be the pizza guy. I had not had a good pizza in over a year now and I could use one.

Although a year had come and gone since the beginning of our departures, I still remembered her number. My heart raced with each ring of the phone.

"Dr. Brennan" I heard her answer.

The sound of her voice made me smile. That beautiful voice really made me feel like I was home again. For the last year, I had only heard her voice in my mind and heard it in my dreams. I had so many nights that I would have given up that job if she would have asked.

"Hi Bones" I answered back trying to bring back the charm that she always liked.

"Booth, when did you get in?" she asked me.

"I just got back to this apartment about five minutes ago. Boy was that a long flight. Of all the things I have missed in the last year, you would be the one I have missed the most.' I answered.

I could feel her smile over the cell phone lines. I could practically see her smiling that too beautiful smile.

"When did you get in?" I asked.

"I got in about 10 minutes ago. I never thought that I could miss an apartment so much or a town for that matter. I have you be blame for the sentimentality. By the way, I have something of yours still on me." She answered.

"Bring any you luck?" I asked unable to resist the question.

"Luck is anthropologically unrealistic. Luck is merely mathematically calculated chance, but the answer is yes." She answered unable to hide her amusement from me.

I wanted to tell her how much I missed her and tell her how much I loved her but my voice and courage had failed me. How is it that a man can say it in letters but could not say it on the phone? That puzzled me. I had to take a second to gather the nerve that I had in all those letters and in the e-mail.

"I missed you. I got so used to having you around so much that I wanted to be back here. I would always remember that were in My-Poo-Poo doing your own thing. Still I missed you more than you could ever imagine." I said humorously sincere.

There was a two second silence that half scared me. Maybe it had been too soon to admit that.

"I missed you too. I was in MALUKU. I would have rather been here but we both did what we needed to do. I kept the letters and photos because I had you around that way. I kept the letters too." She responded.

"Did the hat help you out there? I thought that it might help to keep the sun off your face and keep some of those bugs off of you too." I inquired.

"Yes, it was very helpful. That sun was hot and those bugs must have come out of the Jurassic period by the size of them. Your humor even rubbed on to me didn't it?" she answered.

"Do you mean rubbed off on you?" I responded as I always have when she messed up the simplest of sayings.

I knew that saying out loud what I was thinking entirely might be a mistake considering we both got back recently and it might freak her out a little.

"Bones, I meant what I said in those letters. I would still give up a lot for you. Just remember I can wait for as long as you need. " I simply said. It was the easiest way to say it without scaring her.

"I know." She answered. She was always really good at the short answer. Sometimes those short answers confused me.

"Well Bones, I need to get some rest. I just wanted to make sure I called you back. See you with the sunrise Tempe." I said as I hung up the phone.

"With the sunrise Seeley." She responded repeating the words back to me. She was not one to call me by my first name, so I found some encouragement in that.

I went to sleep that night under my own roof in my comfortable bed. I was not freezing half to death or even dodging bullets. I was comfortable and eager to face another sunrise. This sunrise would bring her back into my life and I had no intention of ever having her out of my life again.

**Reassurance **

**Spoilers include The Boy in the Time Capsule, The Girl with the Curl, The Beginning in the End, Santa in the Slush. **

I was greeted in the Dulles Airport baggage claim by a very radiant Ange and very happy Hodgins. As we made our way to the car, they told me about their year in Paris and I half envied them. I was doing a one year job working with bones and they were enjoying the sights of Paris. Ange seemed to boiling over with excitement. I could tell there was something she wanted to tell me but Jack must have told her not to say anything yet. It was so good to have the company of one of my best friends and the company of one of the most caring men in the world. The other caring man that bested even Jack was the one I wanted to hear from most. The letters he sent me in the mail were very therapeutic in reality. I got the perspective I needed. I could not tell Ange everything that happened on the dig. I held my comments to conversational stuff for the most part. The mention of the bugs piqued Jack's interest and Ange could follow a little bit of it.

I hugged Ange and Jack one more time before I made my way up to my apartment. I found that a few messages had been left on my home phone but nothing from Booth. I found a wine glass and some of my best wine. I flipped off my shoes to get comfortable and just took in the environment that I was in. It was so nice to feel the Air Conditioning and have not dirt around me, I thought to myself. I got to thinking about Booth and wondered if he had made it in yet. As I was about to call him, my phone rang. For a moment, I had forgotten his phone number so when I answered it came off as a little aloof.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan" I answered.

"Hi Bones" I heard an old familiar, highly missed voice say over the phone lines.

I never quite believed it when people said that they could practically see a person's face over the phone line. I believed it now. I could see those brown eyes and handsome, cocky smile on the other end of the line.

I asked Booth when he got in.

"I just got back to this apartment about five minutes ago. Boy was that a long flight. Of all the things I have missed in the last year, you would be the one I have missed the most." He answered.

I was grateful that he could not see the change in the color of my face. It was rather flattering and very reassuring to know that we were "on the same page" as Booth would say it. I had missed him as much as he had missed me. I wanted to tell him that the letters changed my perspective and how my mind had changed.

He asked me when I had got back in.

"I got in about 10 minutes ago. I never thought that I could miss an apartment so much or a town for that matter. I have you be blame for the sentimentality. By the way, I have something of yours still on me." I replied. Thanks to him some of my anthropological thought had kind of shrunk in size.

Before the last year had come, few things had sentimental value. I had my mother's ring and her buckle. I guess I found a lot of sentimental value in the gifts he had given to me over the years. I still had the Brainy Smurf, Jasper the Plastic Pig, and a lot of memories. I had the memory of squeezing his hand at the airport a year ago, kissing him outside the Jeffersonian, and the hair raising kiss under the mistletoe.

I told him that I still had his poker chip on hand. He asked me if it brought me any luck.

"Luck is anthropologically unrealistic. The answer is yes." I answered as humorously as I could. I didn't want to tell him that he had made me believe in luck a little. That chip was a constant companion from the time I got it to the time I arrived home.

"I missed you. I got so used to having you around so much that I wanted to be back here. I would always remember that you were in My-poo-poo doing your own thing. Still I missed you more than you could ever imagine." Booth said with painful sincerity.

I felt a sense of relief in hearing those words. I guess a part of me had to be sure that I had not just fallen into a sentimental pit in the time I had been on the dig.

"I missed you too. I was in MALUKU. I would have rather been here but we both did what we needed to do. I kept the letters and photos because I had you around that way. I kept the letters too." I answered correcting his pronunciation. He never had pronounced the dig country right even before he left. In answering to his question, I had the feeling that I admitted to too much information. I did not want to make him uncomfortable.

He asked me about the hat and I replied that it came in handy. I told him that the hat had does a wonderful job at keeping the Jurassic bugs off my head and blazing sun out of my eyes I utilized the humor that he had taught me so well. I could hear the soft laugh that came when I cracked a joke. I have never been very good at expressing humor with the kind of ease that Booth had. Being with Booth all these years had added to my humor.

In my reply to him, I got another colloquialism wrong. I guess it is not "rub on to me" . It is actually "rub off on me."

I could hear him take in a breath before he spoke.

"Bones, I meant what I said in those letters. I would still give up a lot for you. Just remember I can wait for as long as you need. " I heard him say over the phone line.

That very statement would have scared me senseless about a year ago. The sense of fear dissipated and a sense of security took its place. It brought me a sense of security and a sense of hope for a future I did want one day with him. I still was not sure that I was ready to be in a committed relationship with him now, but I did know that I would one day.

I could only offer him a two word answer. I try to say more at times but sometimes two words were the best to maintain my composure. It kept me from revealing too much information.

"Well Bones, I need to get some rest. I just wanted to make sure I called you back. See you with the sunrise Tempe." Booth said as he was about to hang up for the night.

A small portion of my mind got a little scared but a newly discovered part of me was happy to hear him call me by my actual name. I guess the year did us some good in the end.

"With the sunrise Seeley."I repeated back hearing the intake of a breath. He had always been Booth to me but for that precious moment, he was Seeley.

I headed to my bed after I shut my cell phone. At least tonight, I could be surrounded by comfort. Air conditioning, a soft bed, and a few sweet dreams made it better. What awaited me when the sun rose made it sweeter yet. My soldier, my Seeley waited for me at sunrise.

**Chapter 15 Uneasy Reunification **

**Spoilers the Woman in the Sand and The Beginning in the End **

The alarm clock went off interrupting a bad dream. I never thought that I would suffer a touch of PTSD when I got back from Afghanistan, but every once in awhile I would start to remember some of the guys that died. I could still remember the look on one young private's face right before he stepped on a mine. I never showed that I was shaken up the whole time I was there, but now I was home in my apartment so I could show some kind of weakness.

I found my shirt, tie, pants, and my favorite belt buckle. It felt really good to enjoy a simple shower that I did not have to share with anyone. Group showers had to of been one of the biggest drawbacks about the military aside from the danger attached to it. A year of service reminded me of the simple joy of your own bathroom with its private sink and bath.

As I showered and shaved, I smiled thinking about what awaited me by the reflecting pool. I thought about how she looked the day we parted ways. This time the first look would be of grateful reunion instead of dreadful separation. I cleared the steam from the mirror and shaved away the stubble on my face. Back to the good ole baby face, I thought to myself.

I felt like a new man in a sense when I put the old armor back on. I had missed my belt buckle so much while I was away. The army uniform did not leave too much for improvement considering the regulations. I was eager to get my badge back and get my gun back. I was even more eager to be in her presence again.

Bones is really hard to not miss. Five years of working together helped me to see past her social ineptness and lack of knowledge simple sayings. She really was a beautiful, compassionate and brilliant woman with all the insecurities that every woman must have. She was just very good at hiding it from those who did not know her the way her closest friends did. I could tell when we parted at the airport, she had changed her mind on the idea of love existing. Someone might call it a bad assumption, but I could see the loving care in her eyes. She told me she loved me in a way that was hard to read if you did not know us. I wanted to say it back but all I could do at the time was do the same.

I made sure I had it all and drove to the reflecting pool just as the sun was about to peek over the horizon. She was not there yet but I knew she would be there soon. I ordered my coffee. The smell was so overwhelmingly wonderful that I hardly noticed her coming. I just about dropped my coffee because over a year she had gotten even more beautiful. I was back in the hotel room again when she came out in that black dress for our undercover job in Vegas. It took me some time to fix my face. She only smiled and I could see the start of a tear in the corner of her eye. My first reaction was to drop my coffee and take her in my arms for a hug.

"God, it is so good to see you again. Boy have I missed you." I said trying to be as cool as possible.

Bones took my hand for a second and placed the chip in my hand.

"I told you I would bring it back to you. I do keep my promises. Good to see you too Booth." She answered.

For a long minute we were looking into each other's eyes. The rising of the sun over the reflecting pool seemed to end the moment. It was a good thing too. I wanted to kiss her then because I did not do that at the airport. We had agreed to take it from where we left and that was that we move onto other people. Catherine had become a long forgotten story over a year ago. Catherine could not handle the military gig much and we both knew Bones had me already.

"I never thought the sunrise could be so beautiful until I was not able to see it for over a year." I said as I blew on my hot coffee.

"I do believe I agree with you on this one Booth. Jungle sunrises are so different than these sunrises." Bones answered looking at the scenery before us.

We sat for a little bit just taking in the scenery as if we were trying to avoid the conversation that we had been carrying on for the last year. When we were face-to-face, the words did not come and the walls were up. A part of me wanted to gamble by speaking everything on my mind, but a memory stung me like a swarm of bees to remind of the first gamble. I thought better of it. Only if she brings it up, I thought to myself. I drank the rest of my coffee and watched her from the corner of my eye. You are so beautiful and I can't say it, I thought to myself.

"So Bones, ready to get back to work?" I asked in the tone she had gotten so used to.

"Remains can't identify themselves" she answered in her Bones-ish humor.

"Crimes can't solve themselves." I answered.

Somewhere between our responses, was an uncomfortable silence. This was not the time or place to work out that uncomfortable silence. I was about to get up when the urge to remain sitting came. I gently took her arm to keep her sitting.

"Bones, you can't tell me you did not notice that silence. I just wanted say whenever you are ready to talk, I am always around. We have said a lot in letter but it seems that we can't say it around each other. Now is not the time to talk about this obviously. Just say when, okay. I do believe that it is back to work for now." I said to her trying to be sensitive as possible.

"I know and I will." She answered coolly.

I knew what she was thinking when she said it because I could read her like I read her books. She was getting better at showing emotion, but she still could come off cool and still be so upset. I took her Styrofoam cup and put it in the trash. I took her hand to help her up and I could feel the same electricity I felt in the airport. I could not read her face but I could see something register in an unconscious level. We made our way to our cars and back to work.

**Chapter 16 Feeling Sparks **

I was woken by the sound of a blaring alarm next to the head board. I got up to take a relaxing shower. The best part of the morning would come with the sunrise. I found my clothes and put them on. I took the poker chip in my hand and had to smile. All the time we spent apart had changed me in a way that was deeper than I could have ever imagined. Sweets would say that I had changed at an unconscious level but psychology is such a soft science that I can hardly trust it. Part of me ate a piece of "crow" and admitted he was right. Or I think that was the saying I was looking for. Booth knew that I never have been good with figures of speech but he has always been my translator for them. I looked around to make sure that I did not miss anything. I had to smile because it was so good to be home and so good to be able to see Booth again.

I could see Booth as he approached the vendor for his coffee. It took a lot of work to compose myself before I saw him. Get a hold of yourself Temperance, I thought. After all this was only Booth and we were starting back where we left off. Good luck girl with that, I could hear a voice deep down tell me. That deep down voice sure sounded like Ange and her all knowing intuition.

I held the poker chip in my hand as I approached the bench. The look on Booth's face when he saw me took me back quite a distance in time. The last time I drew that look from him was in Vegas undercover. Of course, Booth looked better than the day he headed to Afghanistan. I could see where muscle had taken over where there must have been fat weight. His face was thinner and twice as handsome as it was then. If he was symmetrically pleasing then, the time he spent overseas doubled it.

He put down his coffee and put his arms around me. I could still remember how it felt when he danced with me at my reunion. I could feel the feeling that he had described in his letters radiating out of his touch. I wanted to kiss him but this was not the time and place.

The first thing he told me was that he was so happy to see me and that he had missed me. I smiled my sideways smile to let him know that I had missed him just as much.

I handed him his poker chip and told him that I keep my promises. He smiled that some charming smile that had a way with me, more so since I got back. The letters have changed my view somewhat on the subject of love and the prospect of the archaic practice of marriage. It might be worth it with the right man like Booth.

As I was looking at the stunning scenery in front of us, I could hear him say how beautiful the sunrise was. I think I said something about jungle sunrises I had witnessed during the dig. As we sat there drinking our coffee, we were taking in the beauty that we had both missed. From the corner of my eye, I saw him looking at me. Booth was the emotional one of us and that helped me to read him.

"So Bones, ready to get back to work?" he asked in his familiar tone of voice.

"Remains can't identify themselves" I answered in my feeble attempt at humor. Humor was really not my forte. That would be Booth's department.

"Crimes can't solve themselves." He responded back trying to make up for my bad joke.

He took my cup and threw it away into the trash can. As I watched him, I thought about our last exchange. I don't know if he had detected it, but there was an uncomfortable silence that neither one of us seemed to want to break. I could see that there was a lot that he wanted to say. All truth be told, I had a lot to say but could not bring myself to say it. It just did not seem like the best idea for the moment.

"Bones, you can't tell me that you did not notice that silence. I just wanted to say whenever you are ready to talk, I am always around. We have said a lot in letter but it seems that we can't say it around each other. Now is not the time to talk about this obviously. Just say when okay. I do believe it is back to work for now." Booth said not sounding like his usual cocky self.

"I know and I will." I answered trying hard to sound cool and collected.

Sometimes when I saw those brown eyes looking at me, I could swear he could see into my inner most thoughts. I knew he read my books but sometimes I could see him reading me. He took my hand to help me up from the bench and the look on his face was as if he had felt an electric shock. The funny thing is that I could feel something that had not good scientific explanation. I guess that the term "sparks" is what I have heard said. We walked to our cars. Time to get to work..


End file.
